The Courage To Continue
by Feanfyr
Summary: [An AU where Dumbledore Vs. Grindelwald was a stalemate] Sirius had grown up on the belief that certain people were vermin yet when he found two of these 'vermin'- Lily Evans and Remus Lupin- fleeing for their lives, he couldn't help but assist them. After they escape, Sirius is branded as a traitor and sentenced to the Arena to reform- but the spark has been ignited already.


**The Courage To Continue**

**Act 0**

**Lessons of History**

* * *

**_"DUMBLEDORE VS GRINDELWALD: A STAND STILL?_**

**_It has become apparent that Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald are the most powerful wizards of the current age, it is not uncommon to hear the words 'heir of Merlin' attached to one name or the other._**

**_Recently the muggle world had descended into another 'World War', in the chaos Grindelwald had stepped forwards to push his ideology of pureblood supremacy though with staggering force and loss of life. Dumbledore, however, had been helping the wizarding world co-ordinate to not only fight Grindelwald's forces but work in tangent with their country's muggle soldiers._**

**_Yet something changed and the two power houses met in battle in a terrifying duel which ended as a stalemate..."_**

**_"WWII END IN SIGHT! _**

**_As the muggle world's war comes to an end, Grindelwald has expressed a desire for peace. The war ravaged world was only too eager to agree, leaders of wizarding countries all over have arranged to meet..."_**

**_"GRINDELWALD AGREES TO AN ARMISTICE!_**

**_After weeks negotiation Grindelwald has agreed to a cease fire..."_**

**_"TOM RIDDLE ADOPTED!_**

**_Slytherin student, Tom Riddle of Hogwarts, has been adopted by the infamous Gellert Grindelwald..."_**

**_"VOLDEMORT: WHO IS THIS MASKED VIGILANTE?_**

**_It started out with a young witch rescued from a rampaging Hippogriff by a masked man called 'Voldemort'..."_**

**_"VOLDEMORT AND FOLLOWERS HAILED AS HEROES AFTER SAVING WIZARDING TOWN!_**

**_The masked vigilante, Voldemort, has long since gained followers, Death Eaters, yet, in the protection of a town from a werewolf pack, this is the first they had fought on such a scale..."_**

**_"DUMBLEDORE DIES!_**

**_Famous wizard, Albus Dumbledore, is found dead in Godric's Hollow, healers conclude that Dumbledore had a heart attack..."_**

**_"GRINDELWALD BECOME CHIEF WARLOCK_**

**_While many remember Grindelwald's reign of terror, the once infamous wizard has been working hard to make up for the wrong he's done. As a marker of his reform he has been voted to act as Chief Warlock in Britain..."_**

**_"TOM RIDDLE OUTED AS VOLDEMORT!_**

**_"It was time that Voldemort was revealed," Riddle said when interviewed. "Voldemort may have been a vigilante but he got the message across- that I am able and willing to protect the wizarding world because it for the Greater Good..."_**

**_"TOM RIDDLE ELECTED MINISTER!_**

**_In what has been decreed as a land slide win, Tom Riddle has been declared Minister of Magic..."_**

**_"RIDDLE'S TRUE COLORS REVEALED!_**

**_In what has clearly been a long lived plan, Riddle has gain control of Britain and set about forwarding Grindelwald's ideals from the World War II Era..."_**

**_"WAR WON WITHOUT A SINGLE SHOT FIRED!_**

**_No one knew just how well planned Riddle's take over had been- Riddle as Minister, Grindelwald as Chief Warlock and the Death Eaters in positions of power..."_**

**_"NEW REFORMS MET WITH DIVIDED RESPONSES!_**

**_It started with a muggleborn registry, progressed into different schools until the muggleborns were reduced to little more then servants..."_**

**_"THE ARENA HAS BEEN OPENED!_**

**_In a salute back to our roots, Riddle had the Arena created- much like the famous Coliseum- with it's main purpose being a punishment for law breakers..."_**

**_"BLACK SCENTENCE TO THE ARENA!_**

**_The Blacks have been a loyal family, concerned with what is best for the country, yet they managed to produce a traitor-..."_**

Sirius Black, alleged 'traitor', snorted in distaste as he tossed the entire stack of news papers into the fire. His 'treachery' had been assisting the wanted duo of Remus Lupin- a werewolf whom refused to conform to the laws of the Pack that Alpha Grayback kept with Riddle's approval- and Lily Evans- a muggleborn witch whom refused to be reduced to a servant at best and a slave at worst due to her 'impure' blood- from escaping the Hunters- they had been called Aurors once upon a time. Sirius had been able to ward off the Hunters long enough for the two to reach the Point- where the Potter Family, leaders of the resistance, had set up means to transport people to safety. Sirius still wasn't sure why he helped people whom he grew up learning were vermin, deserving extermination but allowed to live thanks to Lord Riddle's benevolent nature.

Currently he was in a waiting 'room' that was really a cell- made of stone resistant to magic, a bed that was little more then a sleeping bag, a fire that clung to coals that were placed in a hole dug in the ground, a self cleaning bucket for relief, a trough of water to be used how he wished, a tray that was filled with food thrice a day and, as he's a Black, the ceiling charmed as the sky so he wouldn't feel trapped. That effect was ruined with having prison mates in cells surrounding him- albeit in worse conditions- and having guards of humans interchanged with Dementors to keep them off balance enough so they didn't plot.

Six months in the Arena as a 'Reformer'. Six months of fighting. Six months until, if he survived, freedom.

His cell glowed white and everything in the room was tucked away- really more like sucked into the floors- as the walls shrunk to form a personal elevator that rose. The higher he rose, the more he could hear- a crowed was cheering and a man was announcing-

"-ave Sirius Black in his debut in the Arena!" Sirius straightened as he registered that he was being sent to his first 'match'.

_Six months, _Sirius promised himself. _I can do this._

Then the walls fell away exposing him to the excited crowed.


End file.
